Minifigure – Willi Herold (“The Executioner of Emsland”) (LEGO Compatible)

The Figure: Willi Herold (“The Executioner of Emsland”)

This historical toy minifigure represents Willi Herold (1925–1946), a 19-year-old German soldier who became infamous as the “Executioner of Emsland” (Der Henker vom Emsland). He is depicted wearing the stolen officer’s uniform he used to impersonate a captain in the final weeks of World War II.

• Headgear: He wears a Luftwaffe Officer’s Peaked Cap (Schirmmütze) in blue-grey. It features the silver bullion chin cord, the winged eagle emblem, and the national cockade with a wreath, signifying high rank.

• Uniform: He is dressed in a Luftwaffe Captain’s Tunic (Hauptmann).

  • Cuff Title: On his left sleeve, there is a distinct yellow and white “KRETA” Cuff Title. This is a crucial historical detail. The uniform Herold found originally belonged to a decorated Paratrooper (Fallschirmjäger) officer who had fought in the Battle of Crete. This elite insignia helped sell his deception to other soldiers.

  • Insignia: The collar features the yellow tabs of the Flight/Paratrooper branch with gull insignia. He wears the Iron Cross 1st Class on his left breast pocket and the Luftwaffe eagle on his right chest.

  • Accessories: He wears a brown leather belt with a detailed Pistol Holster (likely for a Luger P08 or Walther P38) on his left hip, a symbol of the arbitrary authority he wielded.

• Face: The figure has a smirk with a small mustache, capturing the arrogant and deceptive nature of the impostor.

Historical Background: In April 1945, separated from his unit and facing execution for desertion, Willi Herold stumbled upon an abandoned car containing a Luftwaffe captain’s uniform. He put it on and successfully impersonated a high-ranking officer. Gathering a group of stragglers, he took command of a prison camp in Emsland, Germany. Under the guise of acting on Hitler’s direct orders, he ordered the mass execution of over 100 prisoners (mostly deserters and political prisoners). His story is a chilling example of the chaos at the end of the war and the power of a uniform. He was arrested by the British after the war and executed in 1946. His story was dramatized in the 2017 film The Captain (Der Hauptmann).